The number of new known COVID-19 cases in Oregon has been on a downward slope for 25 days, finally on Tuesday dropping below the average recorded during the height of the delta surge late last summer.

The rolling seven-day average of new cases was 2,195, below the peak reached during the delta surge of 2,329 cases on Sept. 2. Tuesday’s average also was far below the omicron-fueled peak of more than 8,200 average cases per a day recorded on Jan. 21.

The precipitous decline was driven by yet another day of decreasing cases: 1,613 new known infections reported on Tuesday. The state also reported 20 new deaths, although some of them occurred last fall. Public health experts, however, warn that cases are still very high and residents should continue taking precautions, such as wearing masks.

The state’s indoor mask mandate is set to end by March 31 or when the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 drops to 400. Oregon appears on track to beat the March end date, with the number Tuesday dropping to just above 800 — putting Oregon roughly 2½ weeks ahead of a forecast by Oregon Health & Science University that initially projected hospitalizations wouldn’t hit 400 until right around the end of March.

Since it began: Oregon has reported 682,566 confirmed or presumed infections and 6,416 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation.